Recent advances in potential drug nanocarriers for CNS disorders: a review

Nov 22, 2025Biomedical engineering online

New developments in tiny drug carriers for brain and nervous system disorders

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Abstract

Nanoparticles and nanocarriers may enhance drug delivery to the brain by improving bioavailability and targeting.

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems could effectively cross the blood-brain barrier, a significant obstacle in treating neurological disorders.
Various nanomaterials, such as polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, and quantum dots, have progressed through preclinical or early clinical studies.
Challenges remain regarding the safety, biocompatibility, and scalability of these nanoparticle systems in clinical applications.
Combining traditional pharmacology with nanotechnology may offer new avenues for improving treatment outcomes in neurological diseases.
Further research is needed to advance the development of clinical studies that effectively utilize these nanocarrier systems.

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BACKGROUND: Neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, impose a significant burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Effective treatment is often hindered by the restrictive nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), limiting drug access to the central nervous system (CNS).

AIM: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of existing methods to deliver therapeutics to the CNS across the BBB with an emphasis on drug delivery systems that utilize nanotechnology.

METHOD/SOURCE: We performed a thorough review of the published literature on recently emerging trends in pharmacology and nanomedicine that have attempted to deliver drugs to the CNS by addressing the challenge of delivering therapeutics across the BBB.

RESULT/FINDING: Nanoparticles and nanocarriers have shown promise for crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), improving drug bioavailability in the brain, and facilitating targeted delivery. Several systems applying nanomaterials, including polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles, and quantum dots, have successfully advanced through preclinical or early clinical studies. However, demonstrated evidence of the implementation and uptake of nanoparticles in specific antitumor and neurotherapeutic indications have several significant challenges, primarily due to safety, biocompatibility, and scalability.

CONCLUSION: The combination of traditional pharmacology and nanotechnology provides valuable opportunities for drug delivery to the CNS. Gains in the design of nanocarrier systems have great potential for addressing the limits of BBBs and for improving therapeutic outcomes in neurological disease, but more research is necessary for the development of translational clinical studies.

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Recent advances in potential drug nanocarriers for CNS disorders: a review

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